In March 2020, when COVID-19 cases were identified in Tanzania the Government closed all education institutions, suspended sports, political rallies and international flights. However, since June the Government started easing restrictions.

The health system in Tanzania is integrating COVID-19 preventive services at districts’ health facilities and continuing other essential services, therefore moving from a centralized to a decentralized response for a better reach at community level.

Following this decentralization approach, the Ministry of Health in Zanzibar, has designated 31 health facilities (17 and 14 for Unguja and Pemba Islands, respectively) to manage COVID-19 cases in each district. These facilities will isolate suspected cases, collect samples for testing and manage them appropriately. Severe cases will be referred to central level treatment centers.

The Ministry of Health, with technical support from World Health Organization (WHO), has developed guidance for all five pillars of response, namely: coordination, surveillance, case management and infection prevention and control, risk communication and community engagement and logistics; to help health personnel respond effectively.

“We wish that all health facilities in Zanzibar have the capacity to identify, collect samples and manage COVID-19 cases. Cases may have declined because suspected cases have gone down but they may recur. Therefore, we need to build the capacity of our district health management teams, our health facilities and community health volunteers to detect suspected cases, isolate them and even take samples,” said the Emergency Operations Centre Manager Dr. Hussein Haji.

A total of 181 surveillance officers were mentored and so were 289 healthcare workers in Unguja and Pemba in  case management and IPC best practices.  

The second phase of the mentorship will focus on supportive supervision for health care workers at designated facilities to reinforce the knowledge acquired during the mentorship sessions.

“The new approach is expected to be more effective as the available services in the health systems will be used to optimize care for all patients.,” said Dr. Fadhil Abdalla, the Director of Preventive Services in the MOH.

In addition, 500 community health volunteers, who had been originally trained to reach households and provide maternal and child health services, were re-oriented to be able to support with contact tracing for COVID-19.

“The World Health Organization is ready to provide technical and financial assistance to strengthen the response to COVID-19. We are also sharing new evidence and knowledge as they evolve. It is very important to make sure that our health system, in its entirety, is prepared to deal with health emergencies,” said Dr. Tigest Ketsela Mengestu, WHO Tanzania Country Representative.